Maintenance Tip #2 – Keep Fluids Clean
Maintenance Tips from IROCK’s Technical Support & Service Coordinator
A Little Dirt Goes A Long, Expensive Way!
Keeping Fluids Clean:
Never has keeping fluids clean been more important. When I was coming up in this industry, the Cat® fuel caps all said the same thing: “Buy clean fuel, keep it clean.” This statement holds true to all the fluids in your machine. One of the leading causes of failures in engine after-treatment systems is contamination. I can’t count the times I’ve seen operators grab an old, dirty one-gallon jug from the back of the truck, and then fill it with clean DEF fluid (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) from the big barrel in the shop. The same goes for the funnel that is used to transfer that fluid from the jug to the def tank, or oil to the engine crankcase.
With the ever-increasing cost of lubricants, oil sampling is another great way to lower costs by monitoring the lubricant condition in your machine. Frequent oil sampling tracks trends in oil conditions to prevent premature fluid changes that can lead to equipment failure. With the advancements in lubrication over the last decade, fluid life has been extended greatly.
At IROCK this is especially true because we fill our machines with synthetic oils. While synthetics may cost more, they withstand more abuse and extend service life in most applications. But regardless of the type of oil, the best way to know you are getting the most use out of your lubricants, and best protecting your equipment, is to sample regularly. A typical oil sample costs between $10 and $20 but can save you in unneeded fluid changes and thousands in downtime. One of the easier and most common elements to maintaining fluid integrity is to change filters at the prescribed intervals. Purchasing the proper filter from your local IROCK dealer will ensure that you are using the right filter to protect your investment.
Howard Malhado
Technical Support & Service Coordinator
